These days drool seems only full of addicts and obsession. Some have told me
it’s time to move on, that I’m turning into “the-guy-who-shoots-addicts”. It’s
just that I’m pretty obsessed with my personal work, and these days that
happens to be portraits of addicts. And, in concert with that obsession, it
seems to me that any other thing is less interesting, more boring.

But never fear, I’m trying to get over it. i.e.: see the end of this post for a report
on a One Night Stand at Gallery La Petite Mort and, yes, wait for it: an editorial
shot recently published.

Anyway……

I’ve come to a realization: I will indulge myself. It seems to me that it’s only
through that indulgence (mixed with a solid work ethic) that anything gets
done in this world. (What! you say. You say you spend your spare time self-
lessly working to save the planet? Well, that’s self indulgence, too.)

So I’ll continue to indulge myself…..

STEPHANIE

Steph stood me up the other day. I didn’t get angry. I understand that she
has more important concerns in her life than being photographed by me.

Stephanie, with rig

But I do want to make my project with her, as much as possible, a week-to-
week thing here.

And let me tell you right up front….I’m not doing this just to have “content”
for drool. Believe me…..there are much easier ways to get content. I also want
to tell you that I will never post an image or say anything about Stephanie with-
out first discussing it with her.

But I am very interested in the idea of rolling a project out in almost real-
time; in the idea of just plainly and simply keeping track of how this thing
is going, warts and all.

So, to that end, I’m posting here, today, some alternate images from previous
shoots with Steph. Perhaps one of the side effects of this approach will be the
airing of images that, while not my first choice, will provide a certain round-
ness to the process.

We’ll see……

Stephanie, torso

CRYSTAL

While I was out looking for Stephanie I bumped into Crystal. I’d shot her a
few times during the summer, for USER.

I hadn’t seen her for a few months and we got to talking. I mentioned this
latest project I’m doing and she invited me back to her room. We took
some fotos……

Crystal, Ottawa, November 24, 2010. Heroin

WONDERING

These new shots of Steph and Crystal, and the other women I’ve been
photographing in their rooms, are giving me pause. (See recent drools
for more of these images.)

Seems to me it’s one thing shooting out on the street. After all, as well
as being about the faces, bodies and gestures of the addicts, the USER
images were also about theater and cliché. I did this on purpose for a
number of reasons; but one of the effects of this approach was that a
certain amount of distance was maintained.

But these new shots (which definitely aren’t USER) seem to strip that
distance away. The street theater of the previous work is gone and
been replaced by an intimacy that, it seems to me, can’t be denied.

And it’s that intimacy that is making me wonder. It’s that intimacy that
makes me feel a certain, different, responsibility for these images.

Plus, I seem to be taking what I think are (excuse the immodesty) very
beautiful pictures, but many people who have seen them tell me they
are really difficult to look at. And that’s a paradox I’m also wondering
about.

I’m not too sure how far I’ll be able to follow this new approach. I’m
planning on trying to meet some of the women I’ve already shot so
I can shoot them again (and again).

I suppose that, like all things, this will work itself out over time. But
for now it’s certainly got me scratching my head. One of my favorite
activities.

McCORMICK & EYRE

Angelina McCormick and Gaelyn Eyre showed some of their work last
Friday at one of Gallery La Petite Mort’s famous “one night stands”.

Angelina McCormick

Angelina showed some older self portraits and, more interestingly, pages
from her notebooks.

These pages are quiet ruminations (typed words and Polaroids) questioning
her life, trials and tribulations. Open-ended, poetic and romantic.